small mud motor?

[calvin]

Anyone have any experience with the surface drives over the longtails....pro/s and cons?

[mustelameister]

When Go Devil came out with their 35 horse surface drive, Ron Paul of Fox Lake, Go Devil dealer, gave me a call to go for a ride.

Top speed on my 35 longtail on an 18-foot Lowe flat is about 24 mph or so.

The 35 surface drive on a Go Devil boat, which weighed much more than my flat, was doing about 35 mph topped out. Could've gone faster with a lighter boat.

We took that thing up in the end of the marsh and buried it like we do longtails. And that's where I saw the difference. With the boat buried deep in weeds and muck the motor couldn't "blast" the rig out of it. The longtail could've.

But that was a unique situation.

I think most guys would be happier with the surface drive in the larger CC motors.

I continue to run the longtails because I've gotten used to 'em and know how they handle and what I can do with them in most every situation. Crossing longs and small beaver dams can be done much easier with the longtail. Just run the boat up on the obstacle, walk forward a bit still holding the handle, then set the prop down and gun it. Over you slide.

When running shallow sand flats you can literally push down on the handle and have half that prop running in the water with the cavitation plate out of the water. Your top speed will slow, but you'll plane right across there.

I suppose a fella getting into it at this point in technology would prefer the surface drive since he didn't have the time with the longtail.

I got into Go Devils back in the mid 80s when I read a story on the motors in a Fur Fish Game magazine, wrote the folks down there in Mississippi, and had a VHS video sent if I recall correctly. Watched that and sent a check down there to have it shipped. There weren't any dealers I was aware of in the midwest.

The motor was a single cylinder 8 horse, longtail, and was crated up. Had to bolt it together, add oil, grease it, then bolted it onto the back of a 14' jon boat. Fired it up there in the backyard and stood back and just took it all in.

Called my buddy up and we dropped it in a nearby lake that had a stream running into it through a marsh. You could never get up there with a standard outboard. So across the lake we ran, then up this creek. Over logs, through muck and weeds, and ran it 'till we buried the whole rig in a tight corner.

We just sat there in amazement, shaking our heads.

So I'm thinking if a surface drive was my first mud motor, maybe I'd never give the longtail a second look. But sales of longtails must be continuing strong or so I think.

About the only way you'll ever know is find someone who has one and go for the ride.

[calvin]

thanks for all the info, Mike. I was looking at the 6.5hp surface drive unit for marsh rat trapping. The 80lb motor weight seems to be the benefit ...as opposed to the 140lb longtail 9hp. I guess I/d like something that isn't so heavy and somewhat portable. 80lbs is do-able. 140...not so much. but pros and cons to both, I assume. With that small of a HP rating, I suppose your going to be out and pushing with any model as once your stuck, your stuck...not enough juice to get you out of much, I suppose.

[mustelameister]

I had a 5 or 5.5 horse Go Devil longtail on a 14-foot flat years ago, and that would scoot me out of "stuck" situations with no problem. I do believe your 6.5 should get you out of "stuck" situations even better. And I do agree that 80 lbs is a whole lot lighter than 140 lbs. Is that electric start?

[calvin]

I believe the 6.5 hp is rope start...or an either/or deal. Its the one listed on the "Northern Florida Mud motors web site"). I guess I can't see a need for an electric start on an engine that small? Maybe I/m wrong. I/m still pulling my 25hp outboard.

Nice to know the 5.5 got you going well. It's going on a 14ft flat as well (1440 riveted).

[rk660]

Calvin, looking at exact same thing, 6.5 surface drive. if serious maybe see about shipping together if it would save money. Ill be at MN convention. I'd like to drive/ride one before I shelled out the money, but doubt Im gonna have that option.

[calvin]

Rich, I would too...I also don't see it being an option for me as I don't know anyone up this far that is carrying them.

It appears there are a few companies selling the 6.5 surface drive on the Northern Florida web site. Never heard of "Orion" mud motors, though.

I also see they have a small lightweight and inexpensive scavenger longtail motor. Anyone ever use one of these? Appears to be about the same as the Utah marsh motor. Ugh...where does a guy start?

I like the compactness of the surface drive...and 80lbs is do-able.

Any certain one in mind, Rich?

[kelly]

Calvin;

The Scavenger's are made here in Iowa. Here is their website.

www.scavengerbackwater.com/

[RiverRat]

May 16, 2011 14:21:14 GMT -6 rk660 said:

Calvin, looking at exact same thing, 6.5 surface drive. if serious maybe see about shipping together if it would save money. Ill be at MN convention. I'd like to drive/ride one before I shelled out the money, but doubt Im gonna have that option.

Rich there are at least two dealers in IA that do test drives if your interested PM me I will get you the info.

[calvin]

thanks Kelly. You ever use one?

RiverRat. The Iowa dealers sell the 6.5 surface drive models?

[musher]

This is archive material.

Thanks.

[rk660]

Ive got a scavenger 6 hp. good unit but prop design isnt near as effeiecnt as godevil type prop. it would be much better with a different prop.

[kelly]

Let me first preface what I'm about to say that I've never owned any longtail motor an dhave only rode in one boat that had one-that is the V-bow one that mustelameister shown in an earlier picture-of which I now own the boat and should have bought the motor, too. Anyway, it is worth knowing that Rich doesn't think the prop on the Scavenger is as good as those on other longtails, yet Scavenger uses their "auger" style prop as one of their most prominent selling tools as why one should buy theirs instead of all the others. All that said, Rich is the first one to have actually owned one and stated he didn't like the prop. Must say I've never heard any owners of other longtails with regular props ever say they didn't like the prop so I'll defer to Rich.

[kelly]

May 17, 2011 9:45:18 GMT -6 rk660 said:

Ive got a scavenger 6 hp. good unit but prop design isnt near as effeiecnt as godevil type prop. it would be much better with a different prop.

Rich;

Can the prop be changed out?

Thanks!

[Scott W.]

I'm not sure, but I read somewhere on a mud motor forum that the Scavenger prop rotates the opposite direction because of the belt set up, or some such thing.

Rich,
Do you have much trouble with the belts stretching on your Scavenger?

[cmr2]

on a 14 ft boat the the 10 hp or plus is what most of the sites rec., I dont own one but have been researching for the last couple months ,6.5 is on a 12 ft X 36 jon ,the wider the boat the more horses they put on them ,you tube or look at the forums for them ,just about all the makers of the larger motors has smaller one avil(mud buddy,go-devil,gator trax,etc,,) theres alot of opp.s out there and the surface drives is the new hot ticket ,but there alot of long tails to be had ,can find them on craigs list used or broken down for a fraction of the price ,there's alot of homemade sites for the long tails and surface drives it comes down to the prop being the largest expense
on the direct drive (rotates the oppsite direction of reg out baords ) and the pitch and dia. that is used are differant

thinking on a smaller jon with the 6.5-10 hp theres not a lot of places that can't be gotten to with either long or surface mud motors

[calvin]

More HP always better but I am to the point that I would rather have less and be able to move the thing around when I need. Drug the 25hp outboard out of the basement today and onto the 16ft jon. Carrying that up stairs, through 2 doors and out onto the boat is heavy enough for me anymore....and that's lighter than some of these mud motors.

[rk660]

their auger prop about indestructable, but just doesnt put out the thrust like a go-devil prop. A 1/2 worn out go-devil prop still much fast and more "push". scav on a straight shaft go devil is threaded so machine work would be needed. I never thought about rotation, and was gonna try to modify my old go devil prop, but might be wrong rotation to do so.

Riverrat, yes very interested in a test drive on a small surface drive motor.

[cmr2]

the direct drives of most is counter-clock wise ,so may be in good shape ,if the engine is backwards to you in the boat than it will be clockwise rotion but need to check

can pick up small go-devil props online starting at 129.00 up from there

[calvin]

So, I see 3 separate companies selling the 6.5 Hp surface drive ( Dixie mud motors, Copperhead, and Orion). Somewhat of a price gap as well. Dixie also has a 10hp unit that's at 93lbs....they claim their 6.5 is 63 lbs. Of course all out of range for me so a guy have to just pick one and hope for the best? Anyone have any dealing with any of these companies (Dixie, Copperhead, or Orion motors)...good or bad?